METALLICA's LARS ULRICH On Divorce, SLIPKNOT And Politics

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich recently spoke to DesMoinesRegister.com about the "Some Kind of Monster" documentary, the band's personal problems, plus politics. Several excerpts from the interview follow:

On his recent divorce with wife of seven years, Skylar:

Lars Ulrich: "I'm good. I'm getting used to single parenting, getting used to kind of a different way of just looking at things. It was a little tough in the beginning, but I definitely feel like I've turned the next couple of corners."

On SLIPKNOT:

Lars Ulrich: "Those guys are way cool. I went up and watched (Joey Jordison) play a lot. I'm proud that on the one day that I missed roll call, he was the one who took the seat for the better part of the performance."

On the Napster scenes in the film:

Lars Ulrich: "It's weird that to some people that kind of epitomizes METALLICA, because in my mind it doesn't play much of a role in anything. We took a stance on something we believed in. At that time it seemed like the right kind of thing. It just got sort of misconstrued."

On his political views and its place in music:

Lars Ulrich: "We're one of the last remaining full-on bands. We don't use the band as a vehicle for individual political statements."

But Ulrich also admitted that he had been moved just minutes before this interview, when he read Bruce Springsteen's editorial explaining his decision to embark on the liberal-leaning "Vote for Change" tour.

Lars Ulrich: "I thought his whole thing was so eloquent and so righteous in a way. It's definitely stuff that's a little gray to me, and I struggle with it a little bit. I don't see the world in black and white.

"Maybe by the time the 2012 election rolls around, I'll have the balls to finally say what's on my mind."

Lars also lists his favorite songs played on his iTunes player:

Lars Ulrich: "It's so cool that you can slap it all around. That gives as much relevance to things from 20 years ago as from last week. It becomes more about the library versus the new stuff."

Three most RECENTLY played songs on Ulrich's iTunes:

01. "Wayfaring Stranger", JACK WHITE, from the "Cold Mountain" soundtrack
02. "Charlie's Out of Prison", WARRIOR SOUL, from "Last Decade Dead Century"
03. "Not Right", THE STOOGES, from "The Stooges"

Three most FREQUENTLY played songs on Ulrich's iTunes:

01. "Tattoo Vampire", BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, from "Agents of Fortune", play count 52
02. "Fighting for Rock & Roll", E.F. BAND, from "Metal for Muthas", play count 35
03. "Crazy Horses", THE OSMONDS, from "Crazy Horses", play count 30

Read the entire article at DesMoinesRegister.com.

(Thanks: The 4 Horsemen)